Mulut Masin...

I am said to have a 'mulut masin'... literally means salty mouth... we Malaysians use this phrase to describe someone who utters something and it then becomes a reality. Ironically, I take my food salty too. : )

Well, I received a call today... pretty disturbing but that's life... probably a result of my 'mulut masin'...

More of this when the time is right.

Burgers

I love burgers... if you didn't already know. Especially a good wholesome fresh and juicy burger. Yummy...

Sadly, there are only 2 places in the whole of Dungun where you can get such a burger... at Hola West or at Tanjong Jara Resort.  If there is another place, I have not heard of it yet. Hola West has not opened for quite a while. Apparently it is operated by one of the lecturers at UITM who uses students to operate the cafe. I think due to the new intake it will not be opened for a while... and Tanjong Jara Resort will not be opened till mid January.

So, if I want a decent burger I will have to make my own... and that's just what I did.

You start off with the beef... obviously. I bought some beef from Mesra Mall. Imported Australian beef costs RM25.99 a kilo. Local beef at the market costs RM26.00 a kilo.  I prefer Australian beef for burgers as the local beef has a stronger gamey flavour. Local beef is okay for curries, stews and braises.

There are many recipes for burgers. I like my burger simple. I just season with garlic salt, pepper, paprika and tabasco.  How much seasoning do you put? For me, I season the meat before I mince it. I season each piece of beef as though I was going to pan fry it. This way it is less likely to put too much seasoning. Pop it into the food processor and pulse it for a short while. It's also important not to mince the beef too fine or it will end up being dry. After mincing, I let it rest for about 15 minutes. 

The second important part to a good burger is obviously the condiments. Here I used caramelised onions and tomatoes. What I would have liked to add would be lettuce, gerkhins and some mustard. Next time lah... the onions and tomatoes will do as these are essential to me.

I cooked my burger for 2 minutes on each side on medium heat and it was medium. My wife's burger on the left without cheese and mine on the right with cheese. I finished mine in 2 minutes. Yummy...

I will have to find bigger buns as these were the standard Ramly burger buns which are a bit too small for my 200gm beef patty.

Definitely cheaper than a Big Mac or a Whopper and yummier too... more burgers on the way. :)

New Toy...

My new toy arrived on Friday... it's a smartphone 3-in-1 clip-on lens kit. I used to have a knock-off Olloclip but I gave it away when I sold my iPhone 4S. A new original Olloclip would set me back USD69.99 and I did not feel it would be a justified purchase. So, I opted for the made in China clip-on version. I think the clip on version is more practical as it fits any smartphone, even an iPad... regardless whether you have a case on or not. Smart... there are magnetic versions available too but I am not about to mess with magnets on my phone.

This is it... the lens kit. There are 3 lenses in total. The Fisheye lens is a standalone lens and is attached to the clip, in the picture. The Wide lens is attached on the Macro lens... this is the smaller lens on the bottom left. The Macro lens on the bottom and the Wide lens screwed on, on the top. To use the Wide lens, you screw the lens on (both) clockwise. To use the Macro lens, you 'unscrew' the Wide lens by turning it further clockwise... I hope you get what I mean. Kinda hard to explain.

This is a normal shot from the iPhone.

This was shot with the Wide lens on. The phone was never moved. As you can see... it makes a huge difference. Quality is pretty good with some slight vignetting... probably because I had the phone case on. Too lazy to experiment without the case as it is not a deal breaker for me, especially considering the price I paid for this.

This is the Fisheye lens. The wide gave you a much wider angle... this, even more, 180º view. Really cool... I love it.

This is the Macro lens at work. This was shot with the lens probably about 3cms away from the object and the DOF is really thin. 

A fun new toy... for RM39.90 including delivery... lots of fun, don't you think? Olloclip now has a new telephoto (2 x zoom) + a CPL (Circular Polaririzing Lens which should be really cool... but at USD99.99, I think I will just wait for China to make its version.

Oh, by the way... it comes with a cute little pouch for you to keep the lens in and bring along with you conveniently.

Processed food

Last week, while my wife and I were at Mesra Mall, I picked up some frozen ground beef. Unfortunately, that's all they had. There was no fresh ground beef. Just very limited fresh Australian beef. I didn't have a food processor so I had to go with the frozen option.

BIG mistake that was... it was just not edible. Chewy... full of fat, tendons and bones... yes, even bones. It went into the bin immediately. What a waste!

We then decided to get ourselves a food processor. We had been meaning to get one but had held off as there was no dire need up until now. Yes, need... it can help make my pasta and noodles dough too... it shreds, it chops, it purees, it crushes ice, it whips... need, not want.  I did some looking on the internet and had my mind set on a Philips food processor. Last Friday, we went into shop after shop looking for it but this being Dungun, they did not have the model I wanted. There was only one shop that had the Philips food processor but it was a different model that didn't come with the blender jug. I want the blender jug!

One of the sales guy at the shops then recommended that I take an Electrolux instead. It was slightly more expensive than the Philips that I had in mind. After much deliberation, we decided to go for it. Not that we had a choice right? Hahaha...

Here's the food processor that we bought. The Electrolux EFP5300. It comes with a 1.2L blender jug and has 700W of power which is 200Ws more than the Philips. It's pretty cool... the dial lights up when you use the blender. Hahaha... and my wife and I have already decided that when we next move, this is definitely coming along with us.

So, it was chicken patties on day 1. Yummy...

On day 2 it was beef patties. Yummy too but was very dry as the beef was a lean cut and I had ground the beef too fine. Next time round, will do a coarser ground and add sautéed onions instead of fresh onions.

Next up will be fish cakes... if I can find some Tenggiri... it's the monsoon now and fresh fish is scarce. But for today, I think it will be spaghetti with meatballs...

Who said processed food is bad? 

Need vs Want

I was browsing through Groupon's website looking at deals when I came across the following two deals... take note on how many BOUGHT.

This was the second time I came across such a deal. The first was sometime last month, also a card deal by AmBank and I think the free gift was an Android gadget. That deal had even more interests. Overwhelming in my humble opinion... which started 'My 2 Sen' thinking...

Was the interest actually in the card or the gadget? Based on the AmBank deal, as it was overwhelming, I thought it was the card. Now I see this current deal, I am of the opinion that it is actually both.

I have not had a credit card since 2010 when I was left stranded in Langkawi, out of funds and without a job. I came back to KL and started rebuilding my life from scratch. I had to piece bit by bit together and I started with the big chunks... now I am dealing with the small bits. It was in 2010 that I decided to cut the cards and I have been without them ever since. A tough decision but the best decision.

When I tell people that I do not have a credit card they will just look at me in disbelief. I don't... really... I'm not kiddin' you! I do have a debit card though... I guess they don't believe me coz of my position and age. Even my wife thought I BS-ed her... at first.

The first time I was out buying stuff with my wife, I handed the card to the cashier and said 'Credit Card'... my wife looked at me... her face read 'YOU LIAR'. Hahaha... so, I explained to her that it was a Debit Card but it works as a Credit Card too.

I have a Maybankard MasterCard Platinum Debit Card which has an EMV chip and is accepted at all outlets that accepts MasterCard. When I use my Debit Card at Shopping Centres I prefer to use it as a Credit Card. I always have trouble when using it as a Debit Card coz the Cashiers always assume that my card is linked to a Savings Account... it's not... mine is a Current Account. 

Life without a Credit Card is hard... at first... then when you start to master the discipline of planning, you find that it is bliss. The Debit Card is the way to go... seriously.  Once you adopt the Debit Card, you start to really understand the difference between NEED and WANT... 

The point of this post is because I have been reading a lot of reports about escalating household debts in our country and that the majority of the bankruptcy cases are from those in their early 30s. Then I saw these deals and how it was so popular which seems to support the reports even more.

Most people don't read. They love to read the stupid and silly stuff but not the boring financial parts which would give them knowledge to deal with life. They are unaware of what's happening around them or in the world. They just live in their little circle with no growth oblivious to what's happening around them and not being able to differentiate between NEED and WANT.

If we don't understand AND practice the concept of NEED and WANT then we're going to plateau in life.

Just My 2 Sen...

SALE!!!

Yup, SALE!!!

I am selling some of my gadgets. I am too lazy to take pictures of all the items but for those of you who know me well, you know how I care for my gadgets.

1. Canos EOS 450D Digital SLR (Shutter Count = 16601 as of today). Comes with:-
    EF-S 18-55mm IS kit lens,
    EF-S 55-250mm IS telephoto lens,
    Phottix Battery Grip BP-500Di
    2 batteries, one original and one Phottix.

Canon EOS 450D with the Battery Grip.

2. iPhone 4S 32GB. Purchaser will get a free Bumper Case, Olloclip, and DiCAPac Underwater Case. SOLD!!!. (4th December 2013)

Free with the iPhone 4S. (Ideal for the clumsy person as the phone is recessed)

3. PlayStation 3 - 80GB. Comes with 2 controllers and HDMI cable. SOLD!!!. (3rd December 2013)


4. iPhone 4 16GB. SOLD!!!. (3rd December 2013)

FREE - iPhone 4/4S Battery Pack - SOLD!!!

E-mail me (kevineu@yes.my) your bid with the item as your subject. Please do your own research on current value and make your offer. Successful bid will be informed.

I will be in KL on 26th & 27th December where you can view the product and make payment.

My New Messenger Bag

Last week, I posted the Grid-It organiser which was to complement an earlier purchase which arrived yesterday.

My notebook bag was starting to get 'tired' and the velcro fastener had somehow lost its 'grip'. It's almost a year old and I got it free from a shoe purchase at Al-Ikhsan. I liked this bag. It had a padded compartment to secure your notebook and most importantly it was a vertical bag.

So I decided to buy myself a bag for a change. Prior to this, it was always freebies. Either it came with the notebook or it came free with a purchase or from an event.  After much scouting and deliberation I found that the best options were not available locally. Therefore, I searched online. 

Looking for the right bag is tough. I would have preferred a vertical bag but they were either too small or plastered with zips and/or straps all over the outside of the bag. I like something simple. My search for a vertical messenger bag was unfruitful. There was nothing that I liked. 

So, back to the classical messenger bag. Again, same problem. Strap here, zip here and there. Handle at the top like a briefcase. Colour. All kinds of criteria. What made it even more difficult, I was looking for a leather bag.

After weeks of searching, I finally shortlisted the bags I liked. Then the issue of shipping came up as some sellers did not ship to Malaysia. Even Amazon didn't. The bags that I really liked didn't ship to Malaysia. The ones that I didn't like, shipped! What gives!

Eventually, I found a seller on ebay who would ship to Malaysia and it ain't cheap. Shipping cost me USD40 via USPS First Class Mail International / First Class Package International Service. I completed the purchase on 10th November, at about 10pm (US 9th November). The shipper sent me my tracking number on 12th November at about 4am.

USPS Tracking info.

Pos Malaysia Tracking info. Cool, you use the same tracking number.

It was a pretty long wait but I think Pos Malaysia was pretty efficient considering that the 22nd and 23rd is considered the weekend here. Two weeks in total.

So, this is the bag that I bought. Plain in the front with a zipped compartment at the back (which almost all bags have). It is fastened by two magnetic buttons.

I don't like zips, pockets and straps on the outside of the bag, but inside you definitely need some. And this bag had SOME...
1. A phone pocket which fits an iPhone nicely.
2. Five card slots.
3. Two pen holders
4. A large zippered compartment.
5. Another large zippered compartment.
6. A pocket.
7. A small zippered compartment.
8. A small pocket on the outside of the bag but under the flap.
9. Another small pocket
10. A large zippered compartment.
And you can see that it fits the notebook and the Grid-It organiser perfectly.  And there's still room for an iPad.

I'm loving it. :)

Cocoon Grid-It

I received my Cocoon Grid-It today. I'm posting this simply because I think it is pretty cool and stores my stuff in my bag minus the clutter. You can get it online. Comes in various sizes. This is a 12" x 8" and costs RM59.00.

Pan Mee (Hakka Flat Noodle Soup)

Is started with a picture on Facebook from Rasa Malaysia.  It got me reminiscing my childhood 'pulling' the noodles and dropping it into the broth. Then came the thought...  I then posted that I might just attempt to make it. Then the craving came... followed by a day-long of rain and I decided this would be ideal on a cold day.

As soon as I got home, I checked to see if I had the ingredients. The basic stuff were there but I still had to go out to get some other stuff.  I started with the stock... MacGyver style, if you know what I mean... Pot of water to boil... some Maggi Ikan Bilis Stock Cubes... 3 cloves garlic... lots of pepper and some salt. Not too much slat hough as the flavour will come from the minced chicken and crispy ikan bilis too.

Then I quickly made the dough based on the recipe and allowed it to rest. By this time the stock had come to a boil. Switched the fire off and went off to buy the rest of the stuff that I needed. I needed a pasta machine, chicken (to replace the pork in the recipe), some vege (I had spinach in mind but they were not available), ikan bilis and of course, very important... CILI PADI.

When I got home I started with the minced chicken. Diced two chicken breasts, followed by a quick chop to mince it. Added some corn flour to it, pepper, soy sauce and sesame oil. Mixed it up and allowed it to rest a bit.  Chopped some garlic and tossed it into a pan with oil... add the chicken... I didn't have dark soy so I used sweet soy (kicap manis)... some oyster sauce, some fish sauce, lots of pepper... toss a bit... add water and allow it to reduce to my desired consistency. Voila! Done... I didn't add the shiitake mushrooms as my wife doesn't like it.

Then I fried the ikan bilis till crispy and set it aside and proceeded to prepare the noodles using my new pasta machine...

This is the dough. It should be sufficient for three to four portions... but it would only be sufficient for two if was my kind of portion. Hahaha...

This is the pasta maker... RM68.50...

This shot is an after thought... took it after I finished gobbling my noodles down. That's why you can see that it's contracted slightly.

The end product.. there was something missing... something crucial to making a good pan mee... the sambal belacan... next time... next time...

Halved in 27 Days...

I had my check up at Dungun Hospital yesterday.

On 3rd October 2013, my results were as follows:-
Total Cholesterol was at 7.0 mmol/L
LDL Cholesterol was at 5.2 mmol/L

Now it is...
Total Cholesterol is at 4.2 mmol/L
LDL Cholesterol is at 2.6 mmol/L

If you wanna know what the numbers mean, have a look HERE.

I am very surprised at the results. Thinking back it's probably due to my diet... I was like a horse for the 27 days... no, it was not due to the quantity I ate... It was what I ate... I was eating oats twice a day for most days. 

I also think it had to do with the fact that I was on 75gms of aspirins daily throughout that duration. Aspirins work as inhibitors (inhibiting clots), thus thinning your blood and increasing blood flow. There was an article I read about traditional ways to reduce cholesterol by using Black Wood Ear fungus. The article is here...

I actually have the ingredients bought but never got the chance to use it yet. The fungus works as inhibitors as well. I have friends who also told me that they used this recipe with success.

Therefore, it is my personal opinion that oats and the inhibitors worked together in bringing my levels down fast. How? I have no freaking idea... probably the inhibitors made the blood more fluid thus making it easier to absorb and transport the fibre from the oats to cleanse the arteries. That's just my 2 sen...

For those of you who have high cholesterol, no harm trying...

OS X Mavericks

OS X Mavericks is here and it's FREE! It's a 5GB download but I had it downloaded within the hour. I then proceeded to make a bootable USB Installer. You can get the instructions HERE... they now have it done in 4 steps whereas I did it the long tedious way. Anyway, I made it and kept it away. 

I then installed OS X Mavericks onto my notebook. It's a pretty long process. It took me over an hour to have it installed. 

The footprint occupies 10GBs after installation. After installation and downloading iLife, I noticed a flicker when it booted up. I thought it was a one time off... so I rebooted to see if it persisted. Damn! It was still there.

A video of the flicker at the end of the boot sequence. 

I tried to reinstall. Unfortunately, after installing the downloaded Installer from the App Store, the system would purge it from the notebook. Thankfully I had the USB drive made otherwise I would have to re-download the entire 5GB. I then reinstalled from the USB Installer. Another hour plus wasted. The damn flicker was still there. Sigh... 

Other than that flicker, everything worked fine. Of course there were a couple of applications that didn't work but they were minor applications and not the major ones. I deliberated on a Clean Install. I normally do a Clean Install but it was just too much work. Moreover, I had already downloaded and installed the new versions of iLife. That would mean downloading all over again. Sigh. Should I?

Eventually, I couldn't bear the flicker. Yeah, that's how anal I am. So, a Clean Install it is. Back Up the notebook..... Export my mailboxes..... Copy my iTunes Library..... Copy my files and folders... Copy my VPN key and certificates... Take note of my mail settings and whatever other settings...

It is a long process..... then I did the Clean Install. There's no turning back. It was much faster with the Clean Install. After the installaton, I rebooted and held my breath..... and crossed my fingers and my toes... YESSSSS!!!!! It's gone! The flicker's gone! Hooray!!!

Not only is the flicker gone but it boots up faster as well. It's up and running in 15 seconds now... it used to be about 20 seconds when I first got it and lately, about 30 seconds. BTW... this is a Mid-2011 MacBook Air.

I have always preferred a Clean Install... that's why I made the bootable USB Installer in the first place. It's very tedious but better as you get a clean and uncorrupted system and it forces you to do some major housekeeping. I put everything back in manually as opposed to using the Migration Assistant as I wanted it to be really clean.

I only struggled with VPN for a few hours as it was not connecting. After all the fiddling, I called my IT guy for help only to find out the system was down. Sigh...

Of course, there were some glitches. I have not been able to get the scanner driver to work and CCleaner is not compatible. I have not re-installed everything yet as I only want to install what I really need. Oh yes... the Google client auto mail setup doesn't work. I had to do it manually.

But so far so good... I'm loving it.

Exercise Stress Test

My wife and I drove to Kemaman Hospital for my Stress Test this morning. This is the second time this week. My original appointment was for 10:00am on Sunday. However, when we arrived there it was somehow cancelled. My name was there but someone had apparently cancelled it. I had two options; wait for 2:30pm or come back on Tuesday at 9:00am. We opted for the second option as 4 hours was a long wait.

We arrived at 9:15am after a 75-minute drive. The clinic was full. It was a long wait... I was the last patient. It was a traumatising experience. One of the patients, a pakcik, had to stop his test as he had an attack. When it was finally my turn, the doctor sat down and have a chat with me first. probably because I was the youngest patient there. He didn't think I needed to do the test. I related what happened to me a few weeks back but he still didn't think I needed the test. Nevertheless, he decided to go through with it for peace of mind. 

I was required to sign a form acknowledging that I understood the risks of the test and that a heart attack was a possibility. The doctor encouraging me to push for Stage 7.

The stress test is basically a test where you have the ECG attached to you while you are on a treadmill. Then the speed and gradient is increased every 3 minutes. Your maximum heart rate is determined before you start... which is 220 minus your age. Mine is at 178bpm. The goal is to be able to achieve 85% for your maximum heart rate.

My results are below... I achieved 101% of my maximum heart rate. Click on the picture for a larger view.

I stopped at 13 minutes. I could have pushed to Stage 7. I stopped due to the following reasons:-

1. The appointment checklist states that you should not consume anything 2 hours prior to your test. My test was scheduled at 9:00am. Therefore, I have not had anything to eat... I only had a cup of coffee at 7:00am. So, basically I am already dehydrated when I started. It was after 11:00am when I started.

2. During the test, they did not have any water on standby and my throat was dried out.

3. My leg muscles were sore...18% gradient is very steep...

Basically, my legs and throat gave up... not my heart. : )

My next test will be in Dungun Hospital on the 30th. Hopefully my cholesterol would have gone down significantly by then. In-sya-Allah...

Check Up!!

I had to visit the hospital again yesterday for a follow up check up. Mainly, for another blood test as the two other tests they did when I was admitted was not complete. Some reagents were not available it seems.

So, my wife and I arrived at the hospital. We went up the the registration counter and showed them my letter from the doctor. Obviously, they had no idea what the letter was for so I had to explain that I was asked to come for a check up. She asks for my IC and after paying RM1, she gives me my number and asks me to wait. Just like that.

Okay.. so I am number 1049... they are currently at 1024. The waiting area is freezing. Fully air-conditioned. My wife needed to go to the washroom so I accompanied her there. After her washroom visit we went back to the waiting area but decided to sit outside as it was freezing inside. We sat where we could see the number display.

After waiting awhile I met the co-owner of Tenggol Island who was there for a check up as well. Some chit-chat and off he went to register. After several moments, he reappeared with his blood samples and informed that he was sending his blood sample to the lab and wait for the results there.

At that moment I noticed something was wrong. I observed closely inside... there were two desks where they did preliminary checks. Blood pressure, temperature, etc. They were only at 1031 then but I decided to go inside instead as something was definitely amiss. After sitting for a couple of minutes, I hear the nurse call out names and they would move to the desks.

I walk over and ask the nurse if she had called my name... haaa.. she did... she asks me to sit down and looks through the registration card and letters and asked what I was there for. The problem with the documentation on hand it did not specify what I was supposed to go through. It had a brief history of my admission and what they did bit nothing specific on what needs to be done on this visit. I explained to the nurse that I was supposed to have a blood test. She looks through my card again makes a decision... blood test and ECG she informs. She takes my blood pressure as well then explains clearly what I needed to do.

I went to room number 5, the ‘blood test and check up’ room and handed my forms. There were two ladies there waiting. Inside they were trying to get some blood from a child. Probably 2 or 3 years old so you can imagine the ruckus inside. While waiting, I read the notices plastered all over the door and wall. One of the signs stated that blood tests would be give priority over check ups. The nurse pokes his head out and asks me if I was still fasting. Yes, I am... and I am about to faint soon... it’s almost 11am... hahaha. Soon the child came out and my name was called. As I walked in, the two ladies state their discontentment to the male nurse as they arrived first. Sigh... you should have read the signs. Blood taken, they hand the samples back to me and tell me to send it to the pathology lab and wait for the results which I knew as the nurse had explained to me earlier. I deliberately hold the sample in front of me as I walk out the room. The two ladies gave me a look. Like I care?

I send the samples to the pathology lab. They tell me to come back in an hour. It was 11:15am then. I then go back for my ECG test at room 8. Another child was in the room so it was quite a wait. My turn... the nurse asks me if I had chest pains. I said No... not now, only the other day. To which she replies, “Dah tak sakit baru nak datang?” Hmmm... was that necessary? Anyway, I politely informed her that this was a follow up check up.

After my ECG test, it was time to eat. I was famished. We made a quick run to a warung nearby where I quickly gobbled down a Roti John and a nice iced coffee... which cost RM5. We then made it back to the pathology lab at 12:15pm and after a couple of minutes my results were handed over. Back to the waiting area, hand my results to the nurse and wait for my turn.

Finally I am called into the room. The doctor asks... Ammar? 

Ya, saya (Yes, that’s me)... 

She looks at the card again and repeats her question... Ammar? 

Ya, saya... I replied again...

Another look at the card and... Ammar Kevin? Umur 42?

Ya, saya...

Tak nampak cam 42... nampak muda lagi.

Thank you for the compliment. : )

She too didn’t know what I was there for so I had to go through the whole nine yards... explaining what happened on Sunday, the history of my high cholesterol, etc. 

My overall cholesterol is now at 7.0.

LDL cholesterol at 5.8

Blood sugar is normal she says which I think I saw was at 5.2.

Liver ok.

Heart ok.

ECG ok.

Looks like the only improvement is in my blood glucose. Last year's results here.

She sets my next check up for 30 October. 

By the time I left, it was almost 1pm. A full 3 hours and 15 minutes at the hospital for a check up.

Wake Up Call...

How often do you get a wake up all from The Almighty?

Will you even know if the wake up call smacked you right on your forehead? Most people won’t even know, I suspect.

Well, I got my second wake up call... I think.

I got my first call last year in early November.

Things have changed since I came here. I have not been exercising, I have stopped my statins and have lost control of my diet. How did this happen? Well... circumstances... one thing led to another.

Late Sunday afternoon, I started to feel some tightness in my chest. It gradually built up. When I got home from work I told my wife to get ready for dinner and that I wanted to stop by at the clinic to see the doctor. The pain was just mild... to my standards. Went to the panel clinic and after 45 minutes met the doctor. Explained the situation to the doctor and he suggested that we do an ECG. Alas, the machine was not working. So that meant we’d have to go to the hospital.

Went to the hospital, paid RM1 and registered. After about 45 minutes, it was my turn. Again, explained the situation to the doctor. She too decided to do and ECG and if it was ‘suspicious’ she would have to admit me for observation. So, ECG it was... the ECG was done and she said it definitely looks ‘suspicious’ and wants me admitted. She also does a blood test. I would have to wait for the results before being admitted. While waiting I asked if it was ok to go out for a quick bite. It was ok and off we went to McD for some porridge. 

After that we went back. MY HR Manager, F&B Manager and his wife were there waiting to check on me. How nice of them. I had informed my F&B Manager and FO Manager as they would be in-charge in my absence. After waiting a while I was admitted to the 6-star accommodation. This is the first time I have ever been admitted... hopefully the last. It was pretty late then. About 11:00pm. My wife then decided to go home to get some stuff and came back to accompany me.

It was difficult to sleep with the nurses chatting away. Just before 5am they woke me up to get my blood pressure followed by an ECG and another blood test.

Breakfast was served at 8:00am sharp. 2 slices of bread with jam... hardly any jam with a cup of diluted milk tea.

The doctor came at about 8:40am. She wasn’t happy with my ECG. She said it was still not normal. She would only release me in the afternoon. She said what I experienced was termed as ‘stable angina’.

Lunch was served at noon. Plain rice, some vege (with a lot of sand) and ‘asam pedas’ fish with an apple.

Tea was served 3:00pm. 4 pieces of biscuits with plain tea.

Before being discharged, another ECG and blood pressure test. I had to come back on the 3rd for another check p and blood test as the two tests I did earlier was not complete as they did not have certain reagents. On the 20th I would have to go to Kemaman hospital for a stress test.

I was prescribed statins (30 tablets) for my cholesterol... aspirins to dilute my blood, in case my arteries were starting to clog... and nitroglycerin, in case of an attack... no, not for bombs. Hahaha... I paid RM32.00 for the admission and medication. 30 tablets of statin at the local pharmacy would cost +/- RM200.00.

Last year, when I found out about my cholesterol, my doctor told me it was a lifestyle change. A lifestyle change means it was a lifetime commitment. I lost focus and determination... and this is the price.

I am very appreciative of my wife who has been extremely supportive. I am extremely impressed with how she handled herself. She was very well composed, showing her concern while remaining cheerful and positive. She went home and packed a bag of stuff and what she brought back to the hospital showed her level of forethought. She slept in the chair by my bedside... or at least she tried to. She didn’t nag me... she did give me a piece of her mind though... ever so subtly.

So, lifestyle change it will have to be.

Durian Crêpe...

I'm back... it was a hectic month. Went an entire month without an off day and I just got back from a week's off. 

My wife felt like having Durian Crêpe and here in Dungun, that would mean making your own as there's no Durian Crêpe around here. So, I 'Google-ed' a few recipes and off we went to get the necessary items. We drove for an hour looking for durian... here there's only local durian. No D24s or Musang Kings. The local durians are pretty small so we drove around looking for some decent sized ones.

In my opinion, Durian Crêpes are over-rated... the amount of effort vs the end result which is the taste, does not justify it. I'd rather eat the durian straight or even have just durian with pulut.

Anyway, back to the recipe. I studied a few recipes. There are many kinds available and it depends on what you want to achieve. There are the egg-heavy versions, 4 kinds of flour versions, 2 kinds of flour versions, etc. You need to know what each ingredient does to your crêpe to make your decision.

I opted for the 2 kinds of flour variation for ease. Plain flour with potato flour. The potato flour is what gives the crêpe its elasticity. I made two batches. A batch of yellow and a batch of green. I tweaked the green after experimenting on the yellow. Here's the recipe:-

80 gms plain flour

1 tbsp potato flour

2 tbsp sugar

1 egg

250 ml milk

3 tsp melted butter

pinch of salt

1 tsp vanilla essence

colouring of choice

Whisk everything together... I just put everything in the blender and blended away and then strained it. On a non-stick pan, line the pan with some butter using a paper towel. I did this once only as the butter in the batter will help the process. Heat the pan up. Make sure it is not too hot or the batter will brown too fast before it is cooked. Temperature control is important and I had to switch the pan on and off the heat constantly. Pour some batter onto the pan and spread it out using the back of the ladle. Once cooked, let it cool slightly and then peel it off the pan and let it cool. I used styrofoam plates for this. if you find the crêpe too thick, add more milk.

Once cooled, put some whipped cream onto the center followed by durian and then top-up with cream again. Then fold. Voila!

In the end, I just used plain durian without the cream as I preferred it that way. :)

You can buy the whipped cream or whisk your own. Non-dairy whipped cream is recommended.

 This is the first batch I made... the crêpe was thinner.

I over-whipped the cream... :(

 50:50 cream and durian mix.

The second batch with thicker crêpe... with 100% durian filling. Yummy...

Have fun... I probably won't make it again as I feel it is not worth the extra effort. I'd rather eat the durian as it is. :)

Slow-cooker Pot Roast

As promised... it's Pot Roast today.

Went to the market early this morning to buy the beef. There are only two stalls in the whole market selling beef and I was looking for Chuck Roast which of course they did not understand being in Dungun. I then tapped on my shoulder to show him the part I wanted but he didn't understand. He then showed me a piece of tenderloin roast and recommended that I use that instead as it was suitable for steaks. I told him I was not making steaks. To make a long story short, I didn't get the part I wanted and took the tenderloin roast. I was not very happy but there wasn't a choice.

Anyway, the original recipe for this pot roast is HERE. Mine is modified to what I have...

Click on pictures for larger view.

Here are the main ingredients. You'll need seasoning... salt and pepper, paprika, thyme, bay leave and I used my leftover chicken jus from the other day.

I seasoned the beef generously with salt, pepper, paprika and thyme. I then sliced the onions, garlic and mushrooms. I used fresh Shiitake as I couldn't find fresh button mushrooms here.

Next I seared the beef all over and also sautéed the onions followed by the mushroom and garlic together.

Then pop the beef into the slow-cooker followed by the onion, mushroom and garlic with a bay leaf. Next was the mushroom soup, my leftover chicken jus and just a little bit of water as there will be more moisture from the onions, mushroom and beef. I then decided to put some carrots in on the top as I planned to remove them after a couple of hours. Set the pot to LOW and cooked it for 6 hours. I stopped at 6 hours as the smaller pieces were starting to break apart.

From top left, clockwise; mushrooms dished out into a bowl, bread to go with the meal, carrots, the beef and finally the gravy.

I am very happy with this recipe in terms of flavours but definitely not happy with the beef as it was dry.  If only I got my chuck roast... : (

Slow-cooker Brined Chicken

My wife and I decided to have chicken for buka puasa today. She went out and bought the chicken yesterday and I brined the chicken last night for 12 hours. I used this brine recipe... just didn't put the olive oil. I stuffed some garlic in the cavity with a couple of bay leaves and added some black pepper. Brought the ehicken out in the afternoon and let it dry for a while. I then rubbed some paprika on the chicken. I wrapped some potatoes in aluminum foil and placed it on the base of the pot. I then three in some quartered onions on the base as well for moisture and flavour. Propped the chicken on the potatoes to avoid it sticking to the pot and to avoid the base from getting to moist. Set it to HIGH and let it cook away. Easy-peasy...

After THREE hours on HIGH... the chicken is ready.

This was dinner. Whole chicken, some brown sauce, sautéed asparagus with butter and garlic, potatoes, dates for breaking of fast and apple juice. Yummy...

The meat was tender and falling off the bone... look at the drumstick.

A closer look at the asparagus and the moist and tender chicken meat.

The chicken was tasty. You wouldn't know there was soy sauce in the brine nor would anyone know the chicken was brined. The saltiness went to the jus of the chicken at the base of the pot. Sadly I didn't take a picture of it. It was perfect to make gravy... which I intend to do as I have saved the jus. This recipe would be perfect for oven roasting where you'll be able to achieve a very crispy skin.

Next week... Slow-cooker Pot Roast!

Slow-Cooking 2

It's slow-cooker dinner again tonight. The ingredients are basically the same as yesterday coz that's all I have in the house, just different proportions and no celery. Dump everything in the pot including one clove and half a star-anise. I added tablespoon of oyster sauce, 4 tablespoons of sweet soy sauce (kicap manis) and 2 tablespoons of water. The rest of the moisture will come from the tomatoes and onions.

This is the end product. Goes very, very well with steamed white rice and if you have sambal belacan... perghhhh... Yummy, yummy, yummy...

Slow-Cooking

My wife is away in her hometown visting her ailing grandfather. I couldn't go as there was uncertainty with the duration of the visit and since we are running 90% here, I couldn't take the risk.  As the resort was busy I reckoned I'd cook my own dinner. Breakfast, lunch and tea was oats.

I rummaged through the refrigerator to see what I had. I had a big chunk of beef. I wouldn't have time to watch over the cooking of the beef so I decided to use the slow-cooker that I had borrowed from my mom last year and never did use yet. 

Slow-cooking is very convenient. It is simple yet not so simple. It is simple coz you put everything in the pot and let it braise away. It is not so simple coz you must have some 'imagination'. When slow cooking, there is no evaporation. Therefore, seasoning has to be pretty spot on. And when you add vegetables to it, the vegetables will release moisture hence adding liquid to the dish. So, you need to be able to imagine the end result. Add too much liquid and it will end up being more a of light soup. The key is to add sufficient seasoning but never over season. You can always add more seasoning later. The only downside is that your meat will be bland if there is too little seasoning.

Anyway, I decided to do a stew based on the ingredients that I had at home. I halved the beef chuck and kept the other half for the next day. I then seasoned the meat and quickly seared it all over to retain the moisture.

Everything in the pot. I then added a tablespoon of oyster sauce, some sugar to balance out the sourness from the tomatoes, salt, black pepper, a clove and half a star anise. Didn't have any cinnamon or maybe I couldn't find it.

I then topped it up with a can of whole tomatoes. Set the cooker to High and left it to cook for 6 hours. There is an Auto function but I have not figured out how to use that yet.

The end product after 6 hours.

Yummy-yummy... Tomorrow I'll do 'masak kicap' instead.